Dr. Walker Loses Round One; Holds Out Hope with Supreme Court

Dr. Eugene Walker becomes the third of the suspended DeKalb County Schools’ Board of Education members to learn that an Administrative Law Judge is not giving them their jobs back.

Walker told All News 106.7 that he is disappointed in the decision, but not surprise. Walker still believes O.C.G.A Section 20-2-73, the Georgia law that allowed Governor Nathan Deal to suspend the six board members, is flawed. Walker went on to say, “Judge Wood was fair in allowing us to present our case, but he was also clear that he was bound by that law”. At this point Walker says he will just have to wait on the outcome of the constitutionality challenge of the suit that’s now in the hands of the Georgia Supreme Court.  Chief Administrative Law Judge Maxwell Wood ruled Thursday against Walker’s reinstatement request to be reappointed to his elected seat.

Last week Judge Wood ruled against suspended board members Sarah Copelin-Wood and Dr. Pam Speaks. Two other board members, Jesse “Jay” Cunningham and Donna Elder still await the Judge’s decision. The sixth board member, Nancy Jester, resigned her seat in February and was not a candidate for reinstatement.

In February Governor Nathan Deal suspended six of the nine school board members after the district’s accreditation was placed on probation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SACS over governance, financial and student performance issues.

Since then, the remaining three board members, Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond, and the six new governor appointed members have been in place working hard to save the district’s accreditation. Their efforts were reviewed in May.

In July the DeKalb County School system received a report from AdvancED, the parent company of SACS, stating that the district has made “recognizable progress” in addressing the issue raised by SACS late last year. At that time there were 11 required actions that have to be corrected in order for the district to regain unconditional accreditation.

While AdvancEd is remaining cautionary in its views, right now the district appears to be making progress.

However, Eugene Walker maintains that since he was elected by the people, the Governor’s board suspension actions was illegal.

So one question on the minds of many DeKalb residents now is: What kind of impact, if any, could the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision have on the new DeKalb board and its progress?

DeKalb County students return to school on Monday, August 12.

Please leave respectful comments below:

Superintendent Thurmond Discusses Cell Towers and Refugees

Location of FCC permit for Smoke Rise Elementary

School cell tower.  Permit approval still needed 

by DeKalb County for Special Land Use.  Commissioner Stan

Watson said the issue is on hold but he may

gain new details sometime this Summer.

Roughly transcribed from Tucker Parent Council Meeting, Tuesday, April 23, 2013

(Smoke Rise Homeowner’s Association  speaker cont.  from Brockett / Tucker Parent Council meeting. Held on April 23, 2013)  For full transcript and video, click here:  http://factchecker.stanjester.com/recorded-meetings/michael-thurmond/04232013-tpc/

(Last 20 minutes of meeting)

Thurmond:  I’m familiar with that neighborhood.  That’s my neighborhood!

Smoke Rise Homeowner Association Member:  I feel guilty for bringing this up.  I know you guys are doing a good job and you have a lot on your plates right  now.

But… cell towers.  I was tasked by the Homeowners’ Association to do some research on this area.   Now, I realize that there may not be a lot of definitive evidence, but there has been a lot of circumstantial evidence and we haven’t had a lot of time to figure out all the ways these cell towers will affect small children.  

I know you need the money, I understand that.  But I am concerned in the expediency by which they are being placed and lack of involvement with the parents.  I found out about 8 months after they had been voted on.  At the very least we want due diligence.  These are small children and I ask that you take a look at it.  

Thurmond:  Okay, I’ll tell you where we stand with cell towers.  Two boards ago, the board voted to enter this agreement on 5 or 9, multiple schools.  It landed on my desk.  Just from my perspective.  Conversation from the DeKalb County Commissioners.  They are very concerned about this and involved.

Board Member Marshall Orson:  We are trying to find a path that might address this issue without getting us sued.

Mr. Wilkens (DCSD Operations):   These contracts were entered in 2011.   We held public meetings.  Current status is that there are no cell towers on school properties.   A lot of the same concerns were raised that are at schools now.  The process is that it is in the committee level and it is at the county level.  As far as the towers, they do exist on many school properties, even in Gwinnett County.  So, that information or discussion needs to be an understanding that is a part of your process as well.

Orson:  we are very mindful of the situation.  Do I want a cell tower on my property? I am parent.  No, I don’t want one on my school property and no one else’s?  It was a bad decision by a different board.

Thurmond:  Focus on the county commissioners.

Q from Audience:  So are you saying that there is a current contract that was approved without anybody knowing?

Smokerise Homeowner Association:  I heard that Burrell Ellis does the signing.  Because I know that the commissioners penned a letter to the CEO saying that they did not want the cell towers.

Get the Cell Out - Atlanta (GTCO-ATL):  Just to clarify, Every one of the commissioners  has penned a joint letter saying that they don’t want the cell towers.

Smokerise Homeowner Association:  Yep.

GTCO-ATL:  The initiative is that we were told by Lakeside that they believed their cell phone coverage wasn’t good enough.  We were told this in a meeting with Paul Womack, that we have on video and recorded for anyone to see.  But, the contracts were fudged.  We just got a contract recently (through Open Records Request to the School System) that was supposedly signed for Lakeside.

Before that, they were the only ones who didn’t have a contract because their property was donated.  So, again, are we talking about the contracts that were out there or are you saying that there is something new that is coming up?  Because, and I encourage everyone to go out and take a look at exactly where the cell towers are going up, and with the Lakeside city hood that they are planning, and everyone can say that it has nothing to do with the schools, but it does one hundred percent.    If you look, you will see that wherever the affluent communities are, there are no cell towers.  Take a look.  I guarantee you. The cell towers are right around, pocketed, placed strategically, right around the city’s proposed borders. 

Audience Member:  Wow.

GTCO-ATL: And, as far as the refugee thing goes… if you look at the maps, every single city that’s out there right now writes them off.  No one claims them.  But, they are out there.  And I know.  Because I see them daily.

And, beyond that… as far as funding goes, are they being divided up throughout the county as far as who is paying for all that?  I mean, because our schools are Title I because we live right here.  I don’t live in a Title I neighborhood but my daughter would have to go to a Title I school because of the influx.  Does that mean that there is no way around that?  Brockett will just always be a Title I because of that?  There’s nothing we can do about it?  Because that will hurt our property values.  

Are we having to bear the burden of educating all these students?  The taxpayers?  It isn’t just that we are Title I, it is that we will always be Title I because our property values will just continue to go down.   

 (Side Comment:  You don’t gain higher income families when they see Title I on a report about your community.  It will bring in more Title I families, not fewer.  It isn't fair to expect taxpayers to continue paying a high dollar on their property tax bill for a service they do not need in their community - a Title I curriculum school.   A school should not be something that is actually working against you in terms of being a property owner.  Otherwise, why do we pay for it with our property taxes?)

Q from Audience to GTCO-ATL:   We have refugees?

GTCO-ATL:   Yes.

Q:  Here?  In DeKalb County?  At this school?

Thurmond:  It is what it is.

GTCO-ATL::  But you just said a little while ago, didn't you?  You said we can expect to be getting a lot more of them?

Thurmond:  Well, maybe.  I mean (laughs), I mean I haven’t talked to the state department about it or anything like that.  (laughter in audience.)    But, what he is saying and this reinforces what I was saying is that you  have to keep thinking about what kind of outside influences will be coming in that might affect the kind of school you want to have.   Refugees are coming here.  They are all over DeKalb County.

GTCO-ATL::  But, are we getting any reimbursement for that?  Does the burden fall on all of the taxpayers?  Because here we are talking about how we should do all this with our schools to accommodate the refugees but what is being done by the state to accommodate them?  Don’t they get funds for that?  Aren't they the ones who are bringing them here?  I mean, we have to put up with all this extra traffic, all the buses, tearing our roads apart.  There should be something for the community that is taking on the burden to make sure it doesn't suffer.

Thurmond:  There is some federal funding for children who speak English as a second language.

GTCO-ATL::  And we cut the translators, too.

Thurmond:  Yeah, that was not a good move.  That was really not a good move at all.

Tucker High School’s Principal:   Mr. Thurmond, my concerns are greater than just “are they coming to Tucker High School.”  My concern is for the kids.  You've got kids that are 18, 19 years old.  We've got students right now in high school that are 19 years old.  We've got some students in 9th grade that are 20 years old.  And, we've got some that are still kids.  And, it’s kinda unfair to put that kid in that situation.  It’s unfair to put a school in that kinda situation.

Here’s what happens:  Number one: you got kids who are frustrated because they can’t master the content.  But at 19  years old they can get a job.  So, guess what they do?  They drop out of school.   

Then they relate that back to the high school.  They say, “Whoa, look at  your low graduation rates and you got low test scores.“  But, we know why those test scores are low.
So, we're putting those kids in the situation where they  can’t be successful in this school district.

Now, my thing is we gotta give those kids some kinda place where they can be successful.  We get so focused on what’s going on, that we tend to forget, now why are we here? What’s the focus?  We’re here to help people.  We’re here to give them a better life.  Those kids, they’re great kids.  They’re sweet kids.  They don’t deserve to be stuck in the 9th grade with a bunch of younger kids and then we can’t do anything except sit and watch them drop out.  So, as a school system, district, what have you,  we've gotta come to grips that we got some problems with those kids.  We gotta come to an understanding that whether it is Tucker, Clarkston, Lakeside, wherever.  We've got to help these kids be successful.

Thurmond:  Absolutely.  And that’s the principal of the year.  Ya’ll give him a hand.   (Audience claps for the Tucker Principal but he continues to look directly at Superintendent Thurmond without smiling or changing his expression.  He is waiting for an answer.  He doesn't get one.)

Thurmond (changing subject):  Great news!  On Monday I will be in Rockdale County at the Rockdale Career Camp.  I have met with the commissioner of technical education.  I met with Mr. Don Jackson who is the President of DeKalb Piedmont College.  We have been offered an opportunity to apply for a $3 million grant to apply for a career academy here in DeKalb County.    (applause)  That goes to what you were saying.  20% will apply to go to a four year college.  A smaller percent will graduate.  We have to create more pathways to success.

Okay, putting on my Labor Commissioner hat for a moment.  Young people like you just described will have career paths to other forms of viable labor that can lead to an even higher income than some careers that require a college degree.  So, if we can get these kids into some kind of school to work program, we can still impact them at an early age.  

Q from Audience:  According to the state of Georgia, every child will be educated for college.  How can you have a technical school when the state will only acknowledge college preparedness in terms of curriculum in Common Core?

Thurmond:  Yeah, but it is College and Career preparatory is the way I think they got it worded.  Students in DeKalb County can be dual enrolled in the DeKalb Technical College, alright?

Listen, the young folk, the high tech folks, it’s not just a four year at a regular school.  

Look up allied health professionals.com.  After I get back from Rockdale, I will give ya’ll more then.

Audience Parent:  I just wanted to say that I know it has been a mission for you, and that you have focused on increased communication and we appreciate that and the increased visibility.  We can see that and we appreciate it.

Tucker Parent Council Leader:  Way to stay focused.  With regard to the refuges, is there some way that we can focus legislatively?  Is there a way that we can apply for more funding to work with the state so that they will buy-in that this is not just a DeKalb issue.  It is a state issue?

Thurmond:  Now, don’t  quote me on this, but I believe I heard recently that there are something like 57 members the current state congressional district who graduated from a school in DeKalb County.  So, I think you have a very likely audience there.

I need you to do this for me.  I know we have a long way to go.  But, if  you will admit that we have made some progress toward SACS, in terms of restoring accreditation.  If you can admit that we have started the long  process and  have made some headway.  We have a long way to go.  

Tucker Parent Council Leader  In terms of the overcrowding situation:  can we do anything like a K- 6 funding that will give relief to the schools?  It doesn't do us any good to advocate for it if the school board or the legislature isn't on board with it.

Thurmond:  You need to show to your legislature that you are involved in the process of wanting better education for all the students in DeKalb, North, South, East and West.

*******************
For more information about the refugees who are living in Clarkston,  CLICK HERE.
*******************

UPDATE:  After this conversation regarding the refugees and who is paying for them, Superintendent Thurmond shocked the general public by "finding" approximately $9 million in additional funding that was being kept off the books.  Some of it was reportedly from the after school contributions of parents who have children in clubs who do not participate in the after school program.  Here's word about where the rest of the untapped funds originated from:

http://neighbornewspapers.com/view/full_story/22521586/article-DeKalb-school-board-finds--9-million-in-additional-funds?

So, are these two issues related?  Tell us in the comments.

Please leave respectful comments below:

SACS Visits DeKalb and Other News

Some insightful reporting by Ty Tagami from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Is Dr. Atkinson out there laughing at us somewhere?

Is she enjoying her fat payout at the expense of our

children and homeowners?  Will the nightmare for

DeKalb's schools finally come to an end?  Or is

this just the beginning?  Traditionally, the worst decisions

that affect the most people and cost us the most

money have taken place of the Summer months, mainly

in July.  So, regardless of whether or not you have

children in the school system, if you pay taxes and

plan to live here for a while, please pay attention to

all issues affecting our county and, most of all,

don't lose sight of the school board's actions just

because the kids are out for Summer break!  Corruption

doesn't take a holiday.  It waits to strike when it thinks

no one is paying attention!  

Accreditation agency visits DeKalb

May 17:  The school accreditation agency that placed DeKalb County on probation last year has returned for a review of the school district in preparation for a May 31 report.

A monitoring team from AdvancED, the parent company of accreditation agency the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, visited the DeKalb County School District Friday with plans to continue interviewing staff Saturday.

The team met with principals, teachers, administrators and board members, a school system spokeswoman said. DeKalb will be judged on progress addressing 11 concerns. SACS gave the district a December deadline to address them.

and...

DeKalb schools change budget hearing plans

May 14:  Hours before a final hearing Wednesday on next year’s budget, the DeKalb County School District cancelled and rescheduled the event for noon on June 3.

No reason was given for the abrupt change of plans. The school board is now expected to hear from the public just a week before a possible June 10 preliminary vote on the fiscal year 2014 budget, which starts in July.

A final budget vote is now expected June 26.

and, just prior to that:

DeKalb schools’ finance chief leaves amid questions about the budget

May 8:  The same day the cash-strapped DeKalb County School District released a proposed budget with millions of dollars in surprise revenue, the district’s finance chief turned in his resignation, two events a district spokesman said were unrelated.

Michael Perrone’s decision to leave Tuesday had nothing to do with the district’s release of a budget that day with $27 million in revenue that did not exist in his earlier projections, district spokesman Jeff Dickerson said.

“He left on amicable terms and all is well,” Dickerson said, adding that Mike Bell, a government finance veteran, will step in temporarily.

Perrone’s departure after an accounting discovery obliterating a projected shortfall for fiscal year 2014, which begins in July, left some observers uneasy.

“With the discovery of what has been called a surplus, there are a lot more questions than answers,” said Gil Hearn, a Dunwoody parent. The founder of Parents for DeKalb County Schools said some worry the new money is not real. “It introduces significant doubt into the process,” he said.

Superintendent Michael Thurmond told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution how he found the money: Some of it, such as a state subsidy associated with a growing population of students who don’t speak English, was always there and unrecorded, he said. But some of it DeKalb had failed to collect, he said. For instance, the district gets federal dollars to feed children, but failed to bill the government for the cost of administering the grant, Thurmond said.

“Some of it, we got it but we didn't know we had it,” Thurmond said. “Some of it, you had to know to ask to get it.”

School board chairman Melvin Johnson said he’s confident in Thurmond’s discovery. He said DeKalb can collect the unbilled money for the current fiscal year, and will try to recoup money from prior years — though he was less optimistic about the prospects for that.

Johnson said he assumed Perrone left because of the revenue revelation. “He probably looked at the budget and saw the discrepancies that had been revealed and decided to resign,” Johnson said.

Perrone did not return messages left on his district cellphone or on an older cellphone he brought with him from Florida. No working number could be found for him in the Jacksonville, Fla., area, where he worked as a school finance officer before he was hired last year by former DeKalb Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson.

Perrone is the first member of Atkinson’s cabinet to leave under Thurmond, who took over in February.

School board member Marshall Orson said he does not know why Perrone left but said it could have been a simple changing of the guard.

“It’s not unusual when you have a change in leadership that some people end up going,” Orson said.

The new superintendent’s budget is a sharp departure from Atkinson’s. With Perrone’s help, Atkinson engineered some of the deepest cuts in school district history. DeKalb sheared off $78 million in spending, implementing a $730 million budget that increased class sizes by reducing teaching positions, laid off library workers, interpreters and bus mechanics and imposed two additional furlough days — unpaid leave — on teachers.

Thurmond is recommending a $759 million budget for fiscal year 2014 that cancels one of those furlough days and gives bus drivers and other support workers a cash incentive for showing up to work regularly. He is also asking the school board to buy new textbooks, hire interpreters and invest in planning for a career academy when they adopt the budget in June.

Teachers advocate David Schutten said the canceled furlough day is a welcome, if small, concession. The president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators visited a half-dozen schools Wednesday and said teachers at all of them expressed “hope but cynicism” about the newfound money.

Schutten was surprised to learn of Perrone’s departure and said it will only deepen suspicion. “He struck me as being competent, so I’m just kind of taken aback,” Schutten said. “What people are going to want to know is, does this have anything to do with the money?”

Please leave respectful comments below:

NOTES from the Dunwoody Meetings

Notes from the Improving Public Education in Dunwoody Forum

By Audra Anders

• The sanctuary was packed and people were standing up in the back.   

• All the TV stations were there (I saw FOX, NBC and ABC news vans).

• I am personally energized by the proactive efforts of the hosts of the meeting:   

• The Dunwoody Parents Concerned about Quality Education, Inc. 

• The entire Dunwoody City Council was there (except maybe one) 

• Nancy Jester received a standing ovation 

• Senator Fran Millar and House Representative Tom Taylor were there and were active participants and seem to be fighting for our kids! 

• My favorite Peachtree Charter Middle School teacher (Mrs. Gero) brought me to tears 

• As for the content of the meeting….I’ll try to be brief but the meeting lasted 1.5 hours.

For more details and notes from the Dunwoody meeting by Audra, click here.

**************Dunwoody Homeowner's Association Meeting Summary

By Bob Lundstrom

At a DHA meeting on March 3, the headliner that was suppose to steal the show was instead a no show.  Micheal Thumond, the Interim Superintendent, was delayed and has been rescheduled for next Sunday, March 10.

The real highlight of the evening turned out to be Representative Tom Taylor, he was reason enough to attend.  Tom took about 20 minutes to explain his House Resolution to the DHA Executive Board while local TV was there to report.

Tom explained what we could expect if the Resolution were to pass the House, Senate and then be aproved by 50%+1 voters state wide in 2014.

**************

And, An Interview With Michael Thurmond (from today's AJC)  

By Nancy Badertscher 

Phil Skinner

FEBRUARY 21, 2013-ATLANTA: DeKalb school board Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond answers questions during a State Board of Education hearing in Atlanta on Thurs. Feb. 21st, 2013. The state board is tasked with making a recommendation on whether the nine Dekalb School board members should be booted out of office. A new state law allows this for school districts that in danger of having their accreditation snatched. DeKalb school officials have posed a legal challenge to the law's constitutionality but they won't get a hearing on that until later. PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM

Michael Thurmond ended his third week as DeKalb County school superintendent watching six of the nine people who hired him fighting to keep their school board jobs. Thurmond sat down with staff writer Nancy Badertscher to discuss the challenges facing the district, including the possible loss of school accreditation. He talks of reaching out to the head of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the agency that accredits the district, and of asking Gwinnett School Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks to be his mentor. With all he’s facing, Thurmond says he’s not overwhelmed, but “excited and blessed, really, to be given this opportunity. It is the challenge of a lifetime.”

Q: Do you agree with Gov. Deal’s decision to remove the six board members?

A: “I respect the decision. I don’t necessarily agree with it. I think the vote at the ballot box is sacred, and I think only in the most extreme situations can we dilute or abridge that right. He [Deal] had a tough choice to make and even he expressed reservations about it. But what he said was: ‘I didn’t have any other choice.’ ”

Q: On the topic of accreditation, have you talked one-on-one with Mark Elgart? What was the upshot of the discussion?

A: “I met with him the second week. I expressed to him that I will in this administration do whatever it takes to address the issues that SACS has raised and that I need his support to regain full accreditation.”

Q: Did he give you odds?

A: “I asked him if he is confident I can get the job done. He told me, ‘No.’ He followed up with: ‘Confidence is based on experience, and I don’t have any experience with you.’ But he said, ‘I do have faith you can get the job done.’ I told him ‘I couldn’t ask for any more than that.’ The truth is I couldn’t ask for any more. It was fair and honest.”

Q: Do you know why no action was taken on the SACS to-do list from December until when you were hired?

A: “I hesitate because I don’t want to violate any legal confidences. Yes, I know why. I know what I’ve been told. Senior staff was directed not to contact SACS.”

Q: By whom? The former superintendent?

A: (Silent for a moment.) “Senior staff was told not to respond to SACS. I think that’s one of the more compelling unanswered questions from the state hearing. It was brought up over and over again by state board members: Why did DeKalb School District not move forthrightly to respond to the [SACS] letter on Dec. 18? Dr. Elgart said he heard nothing until we [Thurmond] reached out to him.”

Q: Did you press these senior staff members to explain why?

A: “These are loyal employees who respect the chain of command.”

Q: In your mind, did that make the situation worse?

A: “Absolutely. It is an embarrassment. I think it had a tremendous impact on how the state board looked at the school district. How could you go two months on the most critical issue, which is accreditation and it’s at risk. That’s unconscionable. I was relieved to find out it was not for indifference.”

Q: I understand you’ve spent a good deal of time meeting with parents. What’s the upshot of what you’ve gleaned from them?

A: “Many parents are frustrated and angry, which is very understandable. What’s been impressive is so many parents and stakeholders have said, ‘We support you and want you to succeed.’ That is so gratifying to me. I’m not going to let them down. God be my witness. We have to succeed because for the children — their educational careers hang in the balance.”

Q: Has anyone made an issue of the fact that you are not an educator? And if so, how do you respond?

A: “Oh yeah, people have raised that. I accept that. It’s a fact. Some would prefer I had a Ph.D. or MA in education But last night, I thought about it. We have hundreds of Ph.Ds, master’s degrees. What we need is people with some CS degrees— common sense. Common sense would have allowed them to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. Hopefully, I bring some common sense. I believe in three principals of leadership .. It’s the LLL, listening, learning and leading. I’m in the listening stage right now.”

Q: How about teachers?

A: “I look forward to spending time with teachers, but not just them — everyone, the bus drivers, cafeteria workers, everyone. I tell people I parachuted into the middle of a firefight with bullets, missiles, projectiles coming in all directions. But things have settled a little bit.”

Q: Have you set any immediate priorities?

A: “Restoring accreditation is my No. 1, 2 and 3 priorities. That’s the ballgame.”

Q: What have you been doing behind the scenes that the public doesn’t know about?

A: “I’ve talked to Alvin Wilbanks in Gwinnett and asked him to be my mentor. I have great respect for him. I’ve reached out to educators, retired and active, and asked them to assist me in these efforts. I’ve talked to students.”

Q: Have you or do you plan to request a forensic audit?

A: “On March 15, I have to present my 90 day-plan to the board. I would be surprised if that would not be one of my recommendations.”

Q: Lastly, any regrets about taking on this challenge?

A: (Thurmond laughs.) “I called the state retirement system today. My first retirement check from the state (for his work at the Labor Department, Department of Family and Children Services and the University of Georgia) was scheduled to arrive March 1. I said: ‘Cancel that check.’ We’ll retire another day.”

DeKalb Schools: 'There Is No Plan'

From the Patch

Marshall Orson, newly elected board member in the
troubled Dekalb County School District, spoke to
a gathering of about 100 residents from aroundthe county after filing a lawsuit against the state
that asked for an injunction to stop the Feb. 21 hearing.
But that motion was denied and tomorrow at 8 a.m.
the hearing will take place.  Live blogging contributions
planned by The Patch to include Get the Cell Out! 

School Board member Marshall Orson spoke in front of a tough crowd Tuesday night.
By Cheryl Miller

DeKalb School Board Member Marshall Orson (District 2) held a nearly three-hour Town Hall Meeting in the Emory community off North Decatur Road Tuesday night, updating a packed room of parents and neighbors on the events that have taken place almost daily since the state BOE gave DeKalb a 30-day window to prove their commitment to an improvement plan.

The state BOE is scheduled to reconvene Thursday at 8 a.m. to finish the hearing started in January that was required by a law intended to help school systems protect their valuable accreditation.

But, the law has had its own share of controversy when, in 2010, then-Governor Sonny Perdue removed Warren County's school board, but the state Supreme Court overturned that decision. The law was tweaked in 2011 and yet another lawsuit was spawned when the Governor tried to remove Sumter County's school board upon recommendation of the state BOE. Orson told the room that DeKalb had just filed a lawsuit in Fulton County which asks for an emergency injunction to stop three things: the state hearing from moving ahead tomorrow, the state BOE from recommending removal of DeKalb's board and the Governor from acting upon any recommendation by the state BOE.

Residents across the county are expressing outrage and many are sure this latest stunt by the board, already in hot water with the accrediting agency known as SACS, will surely lead to a total loss of accreditation. Orson stated his rejection of this idea. He told the group that his recommendation of former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond was a brilliant idea and that the district is already on its way to recovery. He expected that the measures outlined by SACS in its scathing report issued in December will all be met by the time SACS returns in May for its mid-point review on their progress.

"You have some areas where the district has obviously been deficient," he said. "Legal fees, for one, but also H.R., P.R., don't get me started, and finance. And that's because there has been a belief on the board in the past that it doesn't really matter if there are long-term repercussions as long as you can enjoy the short-term gain. This is a mindset, not a policy. And it is one we are changing."

One audience member asked what kind of assurances could Orson make that this board can work together and accomplish all those items in such a short time frame when they are already creating a lot of doubt based on the number of lawyers they have hired.

SACS admonished the board's exorbitant spending on attorney fees as one of the major line items they have direct control over. It is one of the major drains upon the general operations fund that is necessary for the vital parts of an education system: teacher salaries, textbooks, and other educational support materials. It is also the account that must pay for general maintenance and upkeep of the existing school buildings, an area that parents and residents have been complaining about for years.

BriarVista Elementary attendance zone from schooldigger.com

"You have been a part of a culture that is all about me, me, me and mine, back off, it's mine," accused a man seated in the front row. He stated he lived near Briar Vista Elementary School, one that has been targeted for closure and has struggled to maintain enrollment mandates for its Montessori program. "How are we supposed to trust that you are not still about those things now that you are on the board? How do we know we can trust you when, in the past, you have authored or co-authored some very inflammatory statements that many think have cost us the viability of our school?"

Fernbank Elementary attendance zone from schooldigger.com

Orson stated his actions as a parent at Fernbank were, at the time, what was necessary to support his interest at Fernbank, but he is now committed to working with every community in his district to help them accomplish what they want with their schools. But, he said it was important for everyone to get away from the wanting of "things" or "inputs" because they see what other schools may have and start focusing on what kind of learning they want to be taking place inside the classrooms. He said he remembers a parent who once told him that he would rather have his child in a building with a leaking roof and great learning going on than no learning and a brand new building.

An audience member spoke up and said, "Well, we have two of those things: leaky roofs and no learning." Nervous laughter in the room ensued.

This author spoke up to ask about the "proper channels" that were referenced in the SACS report. The question was, generally, "if we are not able to go to our board members for their help and board members are not supposed to micro manage, then can someone please tell us where exactly these proper channels exist?"

Orson replied with an extended discussion about the flawed nature of the SACS report and the difficulty the board has in responding to its accusations because of the need for anonymity contained in the report itself. He stated that, in his opinion, part of the problem is that decisions are made in the school system that are disjointed from other decisions that are simultaneously being made.

"If there is any kind of strategic plan," he said, "then it isn't one that is clearly communicated by anyone and may only exist in the mind of, like, one employee somewhere who just dreamed it up one day and didn't even write it down. And that certainally isn't how you go about creating a strategic plan. A strategic plan needs to take into account a lot of things, primarily the input from the community that must have some type of say about what kind of learning they want to see taking place and what form they want to see that learning take. That has not happened as far as I know. I mean, has anyone hear ever participated in something like that? No? I didn't think so."

But, one woman in the back of the room brought up the Briar Vista issue again, stating that it did not appear her community's input was really wanted or considered. The decisions were already made. A woman up front added that they have leaking roofs and windows that won't seal properly. She said that it was clear that Fernbank is getting everything they ever dreamed of while her school is being targeted for closure. We know that will harm our neighborhood and our property values. I care about this school and I don't even have children, only the four-legged kind. But, I care about my neighbors and we don't want to see this happen. What can we do? This board cannot come together for anything. These issues are not even on their radar, are they?"

Orson discussed the difference between the SPLOST plan for buildings and an educational plan that should go together. "We have the SPLOST plan," he said. "But the other is one we are all going to have to think about once these immediate issues are resolved."

Patch will have a live blog of Thursday's hearing starting at 7:45 a.m.

Jobs are the Priority: Former Labor Commissioner of Georgia Named Interim Superintendent of Schools

Michael Thurmond (Credit:  AJC photo)

Just in case you are keeping tabs:  We're still paying our previous Interim Superintendent, Ramona Howell Tyson, about $275,000 a year for a job that was created for her by her.  We're paying former Superintendent (as of midnight tonight) Dr. Cheryl Lynn Howell Atkinson, who has been MIA since committing various levels of crimes against the taxpayers before she left, though not formally charged, about $115,000 over the next six months.  And, now we've apparently agreed to pay former labor commissioner Michael Thurmond $275,000 for one year as the new Interim Superintendent.  Oh, yes, and did we mention ... he's a lawyer!  

Read more about him here.

Here is the official DeKalb statement:

“We are delighted Mr. Thurmond has agreed to serve as our interim superintendent,” said Board Chairman Eugene Walker. “Our school district is facing significant challenges, and we need a leader with a strong record of making fundamental changes in large, complex organizations. Throughout our state, you’ll find almost universal agreement that Michael Thurmond has consistently demonstrated those abilities.”

“The board is committed to working with Mr. Thurmond,” said Jim McMahan, vice-chair of the DeKalb board. “Under his leadership, we will work to ensure that every child in DeKalb has equal access to a quality education.”

“I welcome the opportunity to serve the 99,000 students of the DeKalb County Schools,” said Mr. Thurmond. “By all of us coming together across our county – parents, employees, citizens and businesses North and South – there’s no limit to what we will accomplish for our schoolchildren.”

Thurmond is credited with transforming two unwieldy state agencies, first as director of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and then as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor. At DFCS, Thurmond instituted a shift away from a culture of dependency for welfare recipients to a new focus on employment, job-training and personal responsibility. The Department of Labor underwent a similar change under his leadership, from a department that administered jobless benefits into a statewide resource for Georgians seeking career opportunities and training at newly created Career Centers throughout the state.

“We think that fundamental change is what our parents and stakeholders are demanding,” Dr. Walker said. “We are  confident that Michael Thurmond is the leader with the track record and the ability to improve education for all of our schoolchildren.”